MU Researchers Say To Ignore That Ugly, Brown Grass

COLUMBIA - University of Missouri researchers are telling Mid Missouri homeowners not to water their lawns, despite this spring being the hottest on record. Turfgrass Sciences Assistant Professor Brad Fresenburg said May is normally the wettest month of the year, with an average of five inches of precipation across the state. But Missouri only saw one to three inches this year.

As a result of that dry weather, some Columbia residents will notice their grass turning brown. But Fresenburg says lawn owners should not rush to water their lawns just to keep that green color. In fact, Fresenburg said brown grass can live for up to five weeks and watering your lawn every day could make the grass more susceptible to diseases -- like fungus that causes brown patches -- that are expensive to treat.

Fresenburg said lawn owners can check to make sure brown grass is still alive by pulling a clump of grass out of the yard and examining the roots. If the crown of the plant is still green, then the grass is still alive and can survive without water for at least a few more days.